The Sivapithecus is known for being one of the extinct primates. It is believed to be the ancestor of the Bornean Orangutan as there is no true evidence who the real ancestors were. There are many ancestors who are believed to be related to the Orangutans for instance the Giddon but we still don't know who the true ancestor is. The Sivapithecus is around 12.5 to 8.5 million years old however, fossil remains were only found in the 19th century in the areas close to India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
The Sivapithecus has similar characteristics to a Bornean Orangutan which made people believe that they were the ancestors. The Sivapithecus was about 1.5 meters tall which is the similar height of an average healthy Bornean Orangutan and its facial structure looked exactly the same. There are three species which are in the Sivapithecus group and they are Sivapithecus Indicus, Sivapithecus Sivalensis, and Sivapithecus Parvada.Please refer to Diagram 2 for the labelled diagram
In this report it will look at the Sivapithecus in general as the three species in this group are similar to each other and all the information found only talks about Sivapithecus. This report will cover the following areas:
Habitat
Structural adaptations
Behavioural adaptations
Physiological adaptation
Extinction Pressure
Scientific Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Primates
Family
Hominidae
Subfamily
Ponginae
Genus
Sivapithecus
Species
S. Sivapithecus
P.Sivapithecus
I. Sivapithecus
Habitat
It is believed that Sivapithecus lived in a habitat that is just like the Bornean Orangutans. The Sivapithecus' territory is in the open forests which they spent most of the time living on the ground. Please refer to Figure 4 Most of the time they lived on the ground because of their body size. Its body structure also shows that if they were looking for protection up in the trees they wouldn't move fast or far. The forest that they live in does not have a lot of rainfall compared to the Bornean Orangutan's habitat.
Evidence have shown that Sivapithecus lived in an area which would experience dry periods of rainfall. The dry periods could last for more than 4 months which nowadays some areas would also experience. Low rainfall effects the production amount of fruit which means that Sivapithecus did not always have a lot of food to eat as their habitat that they live in does not provide them enough.However, evidence have also shown that Sivapithecus wasn't the type of animal that liked living in equatorial tropical rainforest. This suggests that they prefer more subtropical woodlands which differ from a Bornean Orangutan.
These woodlands were all surrounded with tall trees, shrubs, bushes, and other plants that was not extinct and present at the time. The environment surrouding is just like the ones that Archaeopteryx and Gorilla live in. Sivapithecus are mainly found in areas within Southeast Asia and Central Asia. As mentioned above fossil remains were found in areas such as Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Please refer to Figure 3
As the years passed by and evolution began Sivapithecus were losing their territories and home. Their living area was becoming smaller and smaller because of the changes of the world. The continental drift led to the modern earth of today which has changed every animals habitat.
Adaptation
Behavioural Adaptation One
One of the fascinating things that a Sivapithecus would do is walking vertical meaning standing upright just like a human. Vertical climbing for a Sivapithecus was seen to be an artistic movement. However, walking vertical wasn't so easy as they didn't always have balance when using their hind limbs so they used their forearms to assist them as they had a powerful grasp. Walking vertical has helped the Sivapithecus by walking on the ground rather than climbing trees. The reason for this is because they didn't need to use the trees to move around. They depended on their own body to move around in their territory which they didn't rely on the environment for movement. Walking on the ground might not have been an option because maybe some areas that they lived didn't have a lot of vegetation to rely on. There was a decrease in vegetation production has the earth was drifting apart. This was the environmental pressure as it made them rely on their hind limbs more to move around the area.
Behavioural Adaptation Two
Sivapithecus are just like Bornean Orangutans as they also used tools but it is not for sure if they did because it was just a theory. It is believed that they used simple tools to eat because they would use sticks to crush the fruit open. Even though it is not for sure if they did it would have helped them in getting nutritious fruit. When making a tool they would modify a simple stick for example making it sharper at the end and connecting it to another stick to make it longer were methods that they used in making a tool. Just like today's orangutan it has been discovered that some of them use tools as well for hunting. As opening fruit and hunting could have become harder to do or eat it might have raised the tool use adaptation. Most fruits and animals were also changing because of evolution and for example fruits have become harder to eat as their outer protection is tougher. As the environment might have changed throughout a period of time it has increased the methods or ways a Sivapithecus would eat.
Structural Adaptation One
Sivapithecus was so flexible that made moving and travelling around easy for them. Their elbows and other joints within the body were extendable and it was always stable during movements. The extension and stable joints within the body have given them a huge advantage and have helped them in the ability of hanging and swinging around in trees. Although, millions of years ago trees were so close to each other and the top was so far above the ground it has given a rise to this adaptation because the only way Sivapithecus could get food was climbing up trees. However, it is still unclear how exactly they got around in the forests. Just like today's monkeys, chimpanzees, and orangutans they have the same ability to move around. Not just because of this it has also allowed them to grasp objects with great strength as their limbs were and still is so powerful.
Structural Adaptation Two
Another structural adaptation that they have is a short and broad nose. This has helped them in getting a detailed vision compared to other animals that have long noses with their eyes directly at the middle of their head. Sivapithecus is not like other animals because their eyes are not placed at the side of the head. A short nose Sivapithecus will get a detailed and wide vision of what is in front because there is nothing in the direction that they look that is covering their sight. However, a disadvantage for the Sivapithecus is that they do not have a strong sense of smell. This means that if a Sivapithecus has a long nose they would have a strong sense of smell but their eyesight would not be as detailed.
The environment that they lived in gave a rise to this adaptation because of natural selection. The surroundings and environment has affected the animal in being sexually active such as the temperature. Even though a long nose effects Sivapithecus' vision it is not really common to other modern animals having a long nose with bad eyesight. For instance a Vulture has a long beak which could be in the way but they have a very good sense of sight because their eyes are on the side of the head.
Physiological Adaptation One
One of the amazing thing that a Sivapithecus or any other Orangutan doesn't have is acrophobia. Acrophobia means having some sort of fear for heights which can sometimes lead to a panic attack. Not having acrophobia has allowed and helped Sivapithecus to climb trees at a great height and not be afraid. It has also allowed them to move freely when at high altitudes because if they had acrophobia they wouldn't be able to adapt to the environment that they live in. The environment has made them less scared of heights as they adjust to the lack of oxygen environment. The high altitude level in the Sivapithecus' habitat has increased their braveness as they are not afraid of heights anymore.
Extinction Pressure
Sivapithecus experienced greater environmental pressure than modern Orangutans which has led them to extinction. It is believed that they went extinct in the late Miocene period. The habitat that they lived in caused their extinction as they were relying on fruit for survival. The type of food that they mainly ate was fruit found in the area around them. Each day they would eat more than 300 different types of fruit but suddenly there would be the insufficiency of fruit which has led them to starvation. During the Miocene period the climate, plant species, and conditions surrounding the Sivapithecus had all changed which differed to their original habitat. They were not use to the conditions so they didn't adapt to the environment which had killed their species.This is an example of survival of the fittest as natural selection has occurred because other species similar to the Sivapithecus like the Baboon has survived as they adapted to the environment conditions.
Future: Valde Humanus
Modern: Bornean Orangutan
General Information
The Sivapithecus is known for being one of the extinct primates. It is believed to be the ancestor of the Bornean Orangutan as there is no true evidence who the real ancestors were. There are many ancestors who are believed to be related to the Orangutans for instance the Giddon but we still don't know who the true ancestor is. The Sivapithecus is around 12.5 to 8.5 million years old however, fossil remains were only found in the 19th century in the areas close to India, Pakistan, and Nepal.The Sivapithecus has similar characteristics to a Bornean Orangutan which made people believe that they were the ancestors. The Sivapithecus was about 1.5 meters tall which is the similar height of an average healthy Bornean Orangutan and its facial structure looked exactly the same. There are three species which are in the Sivapithecus group and they are Sivapithecus Indicus, Sivapithecus Sivalensis, and Sivapithecus Parvada. Please refer to Diagram 2 for the labelled diagram
In this report it will look at the Sivapithecus in general as the three species in this group are similar to each other and all the information found only talks about Sivapithecus. This report will cover the following areas:
Scientific Classification
P.Sivapithecus
I. Sivapithecus
Habitat
It is believed that Sivapithecus lived in a ha
Evidence have shown that Sivapithecus lived in an area which would experience dry periods of rainfall. The dry periods could last for more than 4 months which nowadays some areas would also experience. Low rainfall effects the production amount of fruit which means that Sivapithecus did not always have a lot of food to eat as their habitat that they live in does not provide them enough.However, evidence have also shown that Sivapithecus wasn't the type of animal that liked living in equatorial tropical rainforest. This suggests that they prefer more subtropical woodlands which differ from a Bornean Orangutan.
These woodlands were all surrounded with tall trees, shrubs, bushes, and other plants that was not extinct and present at the time. The environment surrouding is just like the ones that Archaeopteryx and Gorilla live in. Sivapithecus are mainly found in areas within Southeast Asia and Central Asia. As mentioned above fossil remains were found in areas such as Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Please refer to Figure 3
As the years passed by and evolution began Sivapithecus were losing their territories and home. Their living area was becoming smaller and smaller because of the changes of the world. The continental drift led to the modern earth of today which has changed every animals habitat.
Adaptation
Behavioural Adaptation One
One of the fascinating things that a Sivapithecus would do is walking vertical meaning standing upright just like a human. Vertical climbing for a Sivapithecus was seen to be an artistic movement. However, walking vertical wasn't so easy as they didn't always have balance when using their hind limbs so they used their forearms to assist them as they had a powerful grasp. Walking vertical has helped the Sivapithecus by walking on the ground rather than climbing trees. The reason for this is because they didn't need to use the trees to move around. They depended on their own body to move around in their territory which they didn't rely on the environment for movement. Walking on the ground might not have been an option because maybe some areas that they lived didn't have a lot of vegetation to rely on. There was a decrease in vegetation production has the earth was drifting apart. This was the environmental pressure as it made them rely on their hind limbs more to move around the area.Behavioural Adaptation Two
Sivapithecus are just like Bornean Orangutans as they also used tools but it is not for sure if they did because it was just a theory. It is believed that they used simple tools to eat because they would use sticks to crush the fruit open. Even though it is not for sure if they did it would have helped them in getting nutritious fruit. When making a tool they would modify a simple stick for example making it sharper at the end and connecting it to another stick to make it longer were methods that they used in making a tool. Just like today's orangutan it has been discovered that some of them use tools as well for hunting. As opening fruit and hunting could have become harder to do or eat it might have raised the tool use adaptation. Most fruits and animals were also changing because of evolution and for example fruits have become harder to eat as their outer protection is tougher. As the environment might have changed throughout a period of time it has increased the methods or ways a Sivapithecus would eat.Structural Adaptation One
Sivapithecus was so flexible that made moving and travelling around easy for them. Their elbows and other joints within the body were extendable and it was always stable during movements. The extension and stable joints within the body have given them a huge advantage and have helped them in the ability of hanging and swinging around in trees. Although, millions of years ago trees were so close to each other and the top was so far above the ground it has given a rise to this adaptation because the only way Sivapithecus could get food was climbing up trees. However, it is still unclear how exactly they got around in the forests. Just like today's monkeys, chimpanzees, and orangutans they have the same ability to move around. Not just because of this it has also allowed them to grasp objects with great strength as their limbs were and still is so powerful.
Structural Adaptation Two
Another structural adaptation that they have is a short and broad nose. This has helped them in getting a detailed vision compared to other animals that have long noses with their eyes directly at the middle of their head. Sivapithecus is not like other animals because their eyes are not placed at the side of the head. A short nose Sivapithecus will get a detailed and wide vision of what is in front because there is nothing in the direction that they look that is covering their sight. However, a disadvantage for the Sivapithecus is that they do not have a strong sense of smell. This means that if a Sivapithecus has a long nose they would have a strong sense of smell but their eyesight would not be as detailed.The environment that they lived in gave a rise to this adaptation because of natural selection. The surroundings and environment has affected the animal in being sexually active such as the temperature. Even though a long nose effects Sivapithecus' vision it is not really common to other modern animals having a long nose with bad eyesight. For instance a Vulture has a long beak which could be in the way but they have a very good sense of sight because their eyes are on the side of the head.
Physiological Adaptation One
One of the amazing thing that a Sivapithecus or any other Orangutan doesn't have is acrophobia. Acrophobia means having some sort of fear for heights which can sometimes lead to a panic attack. Not having acrophobia has allowed and helped Sivapithecus to climb trees at a great height and not be afraid. It has also allowed them to move freely when at high altitudes because if they had acrophobia they wouldn't be able to adapt to the environment that they live in. The environment has made them less scared of heights as they adjust to the lack of oxygen environment. The high altitude level in the Sivapithecus' habitat has increased their braveness as they are not afraid of heights anymore.Extinction Pressure
Sivapithecus experienced greater environmental pressure than modern Orangutans which has led them to extinction. It is believed that they went extinct in the late Miocene period. The habitat that they lived in caused their extinction as they were relying on fruit for survival. The type of food that they mainly ate was fruit found in the area around them. Each day they would eat more than 300 different types of fruit but suddenly there would be the insufficiency of fruit which has led them to starvation. During the Miocene period the climate, plant species, and conditions surrounding the Sivapithecus had all changed which differed to their original habitat. They were not use to the conditions so they didn't adapt to the environment which had killed their species.This is an example of survival of the fittest as natural selection has occurred because other species similar to the Sivapithecus like the Baboon has survived as they adapted to the environment conditions.Future: Valde Humanus
Modern: Bornean Orangutan
References / Bibliography
Hartwig, W. C. (n.d.). The primate fossil record . Retrieved July 25, 2010, from Google:
http://books.google.com.hk
Nelson, S. V. (n.d.). The extinction of Sivapithecus. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from Google:
http://books.google.com.hk
Planet of the Apes. (2003, August). Retrieved July 25, 2010, from Primates:
http://www.primates.com/history/
Sivapithecus. (2010, June 27). Retrieved July 26, 2010, from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivapithecus
Winfried Henke, I. T. (n.d.). Handbook of paleoanthropology. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from Google:
http://books.google.com.hk